


Ribs

by Purple_is_life



Category: LinkedUniverse - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Fluff and Crack, Sleep Deprivation, Time is doing his best, Wild is living his best life, ribs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:48:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22875007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purple_is_life/pseuds/Purple_is_life
Summary: Heroes rent a room with two beds ribs.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 146





	Ribs

It had been little over a week since the party of heroes had returned to Wild’s Hyrule and already were things taking a nosedive. 5 Monster camp raids, 3 ambushes, and Twilight's accidental fall into the tundras unforgiving rivers had forced them seeking out to the nearest village for supplies. Time’s eye bounced back and forth between his pup and pup's protégée worryingly. While Twilight had emerged the depts of the freezing waters unharmed, it was evident from the consistent snuffle of snot and frequent repressed cough his pup had acquired a nasty cold. Wild, while he would never voice his concerns, the evidence of exhaustion was written all over his face. The boy was prone to restless nights under normal conditions due to the nature of his Hyrule, but with the added stress of Twilight’s vulnerability, the boy had taken upon himself to be the older boy’s personal guardian. The rest of the band of heroes faired no better, as they made their way into the village. Hoping to boost some morale, he slaps Warrior’s back catching the man's attention as the others turn to peer at the scene. “Warriors, how about you and Legend go haggle us an inn." The man's face smirks pleased as he slicks his hair back coly. “Oh please, don’t stroke his ego, his head couldn’t get any fucking bigger” Legend grumbles as he runs his hands over his temples, exasperated with the knight’s antics. Wind beams at this, “Yes!! Use those pretty blues!" pumping his fist in the air jigging around the pair gleefully.

Four and Sky chuckle at the energic boy’s outburst. As the group begins their trek again, Time grabs this pup's shoulder, dropping their pace enough to put a little distance from the rest of the group without drawing too much attention. His protégée turns to him, earnestly "Time?” the older man quickly cuts him off. “I need a favor, I’m aware there is a herb that grows around here that is an excellent sleep aid.” They both glance in Wild’s direction before he nodded understandingly. “He’d never take it willingly," he mutters back solemnly. It was no secret, Wild was a fearless, reckless soul, but as of late his sluggishness and nonsensical injuries in the field had been weighing heavily on his mind. Sleep, unfortunately, was not something the group had much of; traumas of their own personal journeys left many of them hyper-alert, subsequently leaving them prone to burnouts. A flop of a dish here or there was not concerning given most of what the cub makes was a delight to the pallet, but after monster gut incident he could not deny Time’s determination to get that boy to get at least one full night’s sleep. “ if this is like my Hyrule then there should be a grove with plenty”. Time smiles softly pats the brunet on the back before moving ahead of him. The game was set, now test was to get wild to take the sleeping aid.

  
After strolling about the village, the band of heroes regrouped at the inn to find crestfallen Warriors and pissed Legend refusing to look at the group. “we could only get two beds that means we'll to share, and some of us will have to take the floor. Time nodded understanding, before turning the rest of the party to discuss their sleeping arrangements. Wild was the first to offer to take the floor to which Sky surprisingly shook his head "you and twilight take the bed, there is no argument there" the mellow man pressed firmly. “I’m not tired, I'll be hanging around the dining hall if anything" Wild asserts. Wild's eyes bounce up to meet his Twilights when he feels his mentor's hand rest on the back of his neck. "wild if I have to eat another one of your monstrosities on a weak stomach again because your sleep-deprived mind cannot tell the difference between boor meet and monster guts. I'm honestly gonna die," he jokes, leading them out the room. "four and wind can take the other" Time nodded as he looked over the place they had been given. “ the rest of us will draw straws." The pair returns to the inn's main hall before Twilight shoves a warm mug into wilds hands. "cub, please for me' looking earnestly into the younger man's eyes trust was something easily broken. Apart of him wanted to just give the sedative without telling him as warriors suggested but the thought of having wild panic as his body forcibly shut down without knowing why outweighed his desire to see him sleep. “this is a sleeping aid…its gonna put you down for the night for sure” he states intently. Wild quickly makes a face pushing the mug back into twilights hand roughly he was not fond of involuntary sleep ever since the temple of resurrection. It wasn’t he didn’t trust Twilight, he simply couldn’t live with himself if something happened to them in his sleep. He didn’t want to feel that sicking feeling of disorientating mindlessness of waking up to a blank slate. It haunts him. “I'm fine" Wild growls out, but his mentor isn't put off by his agitation, more than likely brushing it off as exhaustion. Twilight really hated doing this to Wild, but he attempted to employ one of Time's famous disappointed scowls. To his surprise, it appears to be working, Wild's brows drop as his eyes dart anywhere but his mentors.

  
"Wild, please don't make me fight you on this, I don't want you to become a danger to the rest of the group" this rips a flinch from him to Twilights displeasure. Tough love was not something he was fond of, but he didn't want his cub's blood on his hands because he couldn't find the courage to being not just his friend but a mentor. Pushing the mug back into Wild's hands, he leads them to a table where they both sit. Wild huffs as he steals a glance in Twilight direction. His mentor was not going to let him leave this table until he finished the mug. He knew deep down he could leave at any moment, and Twilight would likely respect his decision, but the thought of the disapproving look he would be receiving afterward soured his mood. He was not a child, why did this man have so much power over him. Giving his best bitch face he downs the mug in one go holding the sweet liquid in his in his cheeks hoping this be enough to appease the older man.

It did not. "swallow" Twilight huffs giving him an unimpressed look. Having no other choice the younger man obeys begrudgingly and standing to stomp off . Sighing Twilight guilty conscious eats him internally, he rubs wild back absentmindedly "give it at least half an hour don't stray too far from the inn." Twilight represses another cough as he moves to find Time. His cub will need a little space, and he accepts this resentfully.

  
Time finds him in the corridor of their room, and from the look on his pup's face, he succeeded. "he took it with a fight I imagine" Twilight nods solemnly. The conversation turned back into their sleeping arrangements. The end result of their little game landed Time, Hyrule, and Legend a bed to which Warrior protested. There was a silent agreement Time, Wild, and Twilight would have a bed to themselves, and Wild would sleep in the middle so they both could ensure he slept soundly. Reentering the room twilight had a chance to really appreciate the room. It was nothing fancy, two queen-sized beds, and two makeshift ones on the floor for warriors and Sky. It looked cozy against the cold tundras that howled outside their window. Hands-on his hips, he begins tossing his belongings in a pile with the rest of the groups.

  
Wild was not pleased with the turn of events, he felt childish stomping away like a brat at the in. This only confirmed Twilights fears, thinking straight had been difficult as of late. He could already feel his body grow heavy as Wind drags him around the village, stopping at damn near each and every vender. He saw many friendly and familiar faces, but he simply could find it himself to return their enthusiasm, choosing to sign and nod politely. Hyrule was the first to notice his drowsiness, stopping a few times to stare at his side. "Wild, are you okay," the boy eventually voices his concern. Wearily Wild meets Hyrule's eye’s blankly, he felt like jelly and led all at once. Whatever Twilight had given him was starting to kick in, he shakes his head, "Twilight drugged me," he says in a stupor. Hyrule's eyes blow wide …What? Twilight would never….he didn’t know what to think as panic rolled over his face. Legend snaps grabbing Wild by the shoulders "he what?" scanning his face for some kind of joke; he was suspicious of the traces of dark magic the wolf pelt man’s aura bore but to act out maliciously against wild of all people. His mind was racing, "Twilight made Wild a sleepy tea" Sky intervened; Wild nods dumbly. "oh," Hyrule and Legend voiced in unison. Embarrassment heated wild cheeks he hadn't meant that. Wild felt odd, 'I-I'm going back …to the inn' he signed, sloppy his fingers refusing to bend the right ways.

  
Interestingly enough, his hands look rather inrapturing, skin was weird, his scars laced up from his knuckles to upper armpit. Legend stared at the man gwaqking at his hands like it was the most captivating thing in the world. "Twilight obviously gave him the good shit," he mumbled absentmindedly, taking the fools forearm and shoving him in the inn's direction. "Wind, we are heading back," he calls over to the younger man. Wind drops the odd fruit he had been holding back in the venders stand before bidding the grocer a good evening.

  
Getting their feral friend back to the inn was the most frustrating thing legend had to do in his whole life. It was like herding cats. "Four! Go get Hyrule he wanders off again" legend fumes. "Wind, if you get lost you can find your own fucking way home! I'm not looking for you," he hisses in Wind's direction. Letting go of Wild was not an option after they lost him in a crowd for about 20 minutes before Warriors and Four appeared hauling the near-comatose man between them. He smirks in remembrance of the look of terroir that came over the pretty boy's face as Wild had gaged slightly over his beloved rag after swallowing wrong.

  
Back at the inn, the dining area was practically empty aside from the barmaid a patron here and there. A disheveled Legend all but drags Wild into the main dining area before Wild's weight shifts out of Legend's center of gravity toppling them both to the ground. The barmaid paid only a sparing glance at the pair, she had seen plenty of drunkards in her day and owed them no sympathy, as the rest of the band of heroes piled in. "Twilight," he yells out, catching the country boy’s attention from the table he and Time had been sharing. "He's your fucking problem now," the irritated man snarls, shoving the comatose man off of him and stomping away back to their room, muttering how ridiculous Wild weighs. Time shoots Twilight a look of disapproval.

  
“ I thought you told someone responsible to look after him."

  
"I did," Twilight wines exasperated "Legend can take care of himself just fine, and Hyrule has lived up to this point, hasn't he?" he throws his hands up in the air defensively. He jumps up from the table and quickly steps into scrapes his protege off the floor, rubbing his back. "Hey cub, you still with me?" wild looks back at him and raises his hand to cup his cheek and massage his thumb under his mentor's eye before leaning his mouth over Twilight ear. "I think I pee’d a little," their gremlin slurs before going limp. Great…. The older boy thinks to himself. He looks back at Time eye, begging for assistance. Time huffs his way up; this was partly his fault. They had thought getting Wild into bed would prove quite the challenge, they mulled over ideas as Twilight and Time hoisted Wild by the shoulders like a drunken man after he had plain stopped trying to use his legs. Warriors suggested simply rolling the boy in the middle fully clothed would have been fine; however, after sitting wild down on the bed wild had been content to stripping down to more conformable layers on his own. After everyone had settled in, Time blow out the candle content with everyone sleeping soundly. His sleep, unfortunately, would not be as sound.

  
-times nightmare-

  
His heart was hammering in his chest as he all but throws himself into thrusting his blade into a shadow of his own likeness as the form defects his blow with the same intensity that leaves him bent forward staggering and scrabbling in the mud to regain his footing. The shadow takes the opportunity to thrust his knee into the hero's face as he leans forward. Time feels his nose crunch damn near back into his skull as he lands on his back gasping through the blood in his mouth. His stomach rolls as he attempts to rock himself on his side to reclaim his sword only to be kicked back onto position as the shadow hovers over his chest, stomping down hard enough to hear the crepitus of his ribs crushing inwards. He wheezes as he feels the shade staddle his chest, wrapping its cold unforgiving hands tightly around his throat squeezing the fight out of him slowly. Time fights these fingers desperately, as the shade shifts his full weight onto his chest. His vision blurs as his heart pound frantically in his ears. He attempts one last desperate gasp for air as it all begins to fade out, and sensation is dwindled down to nothing more than the goddess unforgiving pressure of having his ribs being crushed internally.

  
-  
It was probably after a quarter of midnight when wilds stomach cried out enough to rouse him from slumber. His whole body felt numb, as a moment of panic sets in familiarity. His heart pounding in his ears before his surroundings can be made out in the dark. The distant sound of snoring allows him to relax a little as he makes out Twilights sleeping form next to him. His stomach pulls his attention once more urging him to satisfy it. Logic had long since abandoned him in his vital moment. He shoves up onto his elbows before throwing himself over Twilight, his foot accidentally meeting Sky's stomach as he lowers himself onto the floor. Sky only grunting at this intrusion. He stumbles his way in the dark as he trips slightly over Sky again. This time he rouses Sky enough to shift somewhat to the left. He steps over Warriors before making his exit slamming the door behind him.  
-

  
At some point in his absence twilight rolled onto his spot in the bed to the younger man's displeasure. After all, he had done to cultivate a warm spot in the sheets to enjoy his ribs, it appeared it was all for nothing. In frustration Wild quietly approached Time's side of the bed and carefully threw his leg over the older man to get a footing between he and Twilight. Maneuvering himself over his mentors’ mentor with a plate of ribs proved quite a challenge. He manages to straddle the older man before Time's body seized in place almost violently arms shooting up to shove the weight off him, effectively throwing the forest goblin out of balance at the sudden outburst. Times lone eye locks with the younger man's eyes owlishly before him wild hovers straddling him at the waist, balancing his weight between his knees and hand, which pressed into the bed inches from the right side of his face holding a plate in the other. The older man holds his breath as he forces himself to calm down as to not alarm the others, “do you want some ribs?” Wild whispers hoarsely above him. Time squints at him in disbelief, did he want …ribs? he had just been dreaming about get the life beat out of him. “What” he all but growled out. The bed shifts next to him as Twilight inhales audibly and groans before turning to face his mentor and protégé. Squinting in the dark, he makes out Wild's outline over Time and up at the strange object in the man's hand.

  
"Wild..are those ribs?”

  
“yes… do you want some” the younger man seizes the moment to shuffle himself between the two awkwardly.

  
Time frowns at this. Over the snores of Sky, a quiet voice brakes the moment. “are those ribs" Legend whispers hoarsely. The sliver of moonlight cast enough light for Legend to confirm a nod from Wild. "can I have some" another nod from Wild as he passes the plate to Twilight who makes a displeased face but none the less does as requested. Time sits up and scowls at his protégé nonverbally asking for an explanation. Twilight lazily lays back inhaling nasally as he peers at Time with a nonplused look. Looking back down at the drugged man between them, he sighs audibly. He did this to himself he supposes, he was aware of the possibility of wild’s body fighting the sleep aid, he wasn't expecting Wild to be so lax and out of it. He wrinkles his nose as the sound of Wild and Legend noisily chewing the bones assaulted his ears.

"hey…..where did you get ribs" Hyrule's up now. He hears legend stop chewing for a moment before the sound of bone scraping platter ware. Time flops back down to his back sparing a glace in the vague direction of chewing. He feels Wild nug him softy and turns his head to the shorter man. He huffs and takes one of the offending ribs from Wild's hand and stares at it, mulling the irony before digging in himself. The smell of roast wafts through the room heavily arousing the other members of their party. Wind uncurls himself from Fours side as both men wake to smell of meat. Wind peers at Hyrule frowning, “don’t get sauce on the sheets Wild," he hears Twilight huff, his brows knocking together half-asleep before damanding some for himself.

At some point, the plate had ended up in Wild's hand once again after some prodding Twilight again past the plate back to Legend, who promptly dropped it on Sky. All eyes peered down at the loud crashing of broken platter ware and thick slap of saucy rods of meat hitting flesh and hardwood "you drop the fucking ribs," Legend hissed as he peered off the edge of the bed where Sky and Warriors sleep between them. A startled garble of gibberish and nasal snores was all they got of Sky, followed by the ugliest wheeze erupting from Warriors as he awakes to Sky taking a plater of meat snd broken glass to face none the wiser. "is he okay!" Four shouts startled as Warriors no longer attempts to hold back his laughter. The out busrt forces everyone to the acknowlge group had been whispering despite the whole party being awake. “He's got a hard head, don’t worry, it's not protecting anything anyways" Legend snort more concern about the broken glass scratching the wooden floors.

  
"did all the ribs fall" Wind wines looking around the group. Four shoots Wind a look before crawling over Hyrule and Legend to survey the damage to Sky's face. "he's not bleeding" Time snort at this statement. A soft snore draws his attention as he and Twilight glance down at the boy between them. Out like a light, Wild spayed out, had comfortably fallen asleep with the remains of his ribs still on his chest and face. Time will consider this a victory.

**Author's Note:**

> Sky needs some milk.


End file.
